Ukrainian People's Republic
The Ukrainian People's Republic or Ukrainian National Republic (Ukrainian: Українська Народня Республіка, Ukrayins’ka Narodnia Respublika; abbreviated УНР, UNR), or simply Ukraine, is a socialist state situated in Eastern Europe, that was declared on 23 June 1917 at first as a part of the Russian Republic after the Russian Revolution of 1917 but that proclaimed its independence on 25 January 1918. Between 1918-21 the republic went through several political transformations from the socialist-lenient republic headed by the Central Rada (Central council) with its General Secretariat of the Ukrainian People's Republic to the national republic, led by Directorate of the Ukrainian People's Republic and Symon Petlyura. Between April and December 1918 the Ukrainian People's Republic was non-existent and overthrown by the Ukrainian State of Pavlo Skoropadsky. From autumn 1919 it was an ally of the Second Polish Republic. It fought the Soviet Union in the Soviet-Ukrainian War, World War II, and the Cold War. The Ukrainian People's Republic borders the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics of the Soviet Union to the east and northeast, People's Republic of Poland, Czechoslovak Socialist Republic and the Hungarian People's Republic to the west, Democratic Socialist Republic of Romania and Moldavian People's Republic to the southwest, Black Sea and the Sea of Azov to the south and southeast, respectively. It is the second most powerful country in Europe, recognized as a military and economic potential superpower. It is the second largest country in Europe by total area, and the third largest by population with 72.4 million. Its capital and largest city is Kiev, Ukrainian People's Republic, which is also the largest city in Eastern Europe with a population of over 5 million. The second largest city is the former capital city, Kharkiv, Ukrainian People's Republic, and the main industrial centre of the Ukrainian People's Republic. The Ukrainian People's Republic has long been a global breadbasket because of its extensive, fertile farmlands. As of 2011, it was the world's third-largest grain exporter with that year's harvest being much larger than average. Ukraine is one of the ten most attractive agricultural land acquisition regions. Additionally, the country has a well-developed manufacturing sector, particularly in aerospace and industrial equipment. It has the largest national economy in Eastern Europe, and the second largest in Europe. It is one of the fastest-growing major economies in the world. Kiev, the financial centre of the Ukrainian People's Republic, has seen an construction boom of highrise buildings since the 1990s, and is now home to the tallest buildings in Eastern Europe. Kiev is now emerging as a global city. The Ukrainian People's Armed Forces are divided into three main military service branches, the Ukrainian People's Army, the Ukrainian People's Navy, and the Ukrainian People's Air Force. The Ukrainian People's Republic is recognized as a military superpower. Since the early 1990s, it continues to maintain the second-largest military in Europe, after the Soviet Armed Forces of the Soviet Union. The Ukrainian People's Navy is the second-largest navy in Europe, and operates an vast and powerful surface fleet, including two aircraft carriers and a large guided-missile cruiser. The Ukrainian People's Air Force operates over 3,300 aircraft of various types, and is the only European country apart from the Soviet Union with a modern strategic bomber force. The Ukrainian People's Strategic Rocket Forces is responsible for the Ukrainian People's Republic's weapons of mass destruction and use of the rocket artillery.